1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an illumination device having multiple light sources that may be actuated by a user. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a flashlight having a first light source located at or near a first end, a second light source located at or near a second end, and a switching mechanism for actuating or deactuating one or more of the light sources.
2. Background and Related Art
Individuals have used various light sources to provide illumination. One light source commonly used is a candle on a candlestick. Once the wick is lit, the candle provides illumination to the surroundings. Multiple candles are lit for increased illumination.
Another commonly used light source is a lamp made of stone, clay, pottery, or metal that holds a flammable fuel that can be burned through a wick to provide illumination. Traditionally the flammable fuel was vegetable or animal oil. More recently, kerosene and propane have been used as the flammable fuel that is burned in the lamp.
The advent of the incandescent and fluorescent lamps provided alternatives that utilize an electrical circuit rather than the use of fire to provide illumination. The incandescent lamp uses an electric current passing through a resistance filament in a vacuum tube to heat the filament until it glows to provide the illumination. Subsequent advancements in the incandescent lamp include filling the tube with a gas. Alternatively, the fluorescent lamp includes a sealed glass tube with an electrode at each end. A small amount of mercury is contained within the tube and the inside surface of the tube is coated with a mixture of fluorescent powders. When an electric current is maintained through the lamp, the mercury becomes vaporized and gives off invisible ultraviolet radiation that is absorbed by the fluorescent coating to emit visible light.
Currently, flashlights are commonly used to provide portable illumination. Typical flashlights utilize an incandescent bulb in combination with a reflector to provide a single, direct beam of light that can be physically pointed in any direction by pointing the flashlight in the desired direction. The beam of light is selectively actuated or deactuated through the use of a switching mechanism that allows a user to close or open an electrical circuit to respectively trigger or halt the beam of light as desired.
Typical flashlights, however, are limited to the use of a light source at the front end thereof, thereby limiting the illumination power of the flashlights to the front end of the flashlights. These flashlights are often difficult to use in a manner other than by holding the flashlight with the user""s hand.
For example, if the user desires to illuminate a tent, the user must often hold a typical flashlight because the bottom surface of the tent is typically unstable. Furthermore, even if the flashlight is hand-held, the front end illumination often fails to adequately illuminate objects on the sides of the flashlight.
The present invention relates to an illumination device having multiple light sources that may be actuated by a user. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a portable hand-held flashlight having a first light source located at or near a first end, a second light source located at or near a second end to provide radial illumination, and a switching mechanism for actuating or deactuating one or more of the light sources.
Implementation of the present invention includes a switching mechanism that when switched closes an electrical circuit to provide illumination. One electrical circuit that may be closed by the switching mechanism includes one or more light sources located at a tail module. The one or more light sources provide generally radial illumination with respect to the tail module when the one or more light sources are illuminated. Furthermore, the tail module may also include one or more reflectors that diffuse the illumination at the tail module.
Another electrical circuit that may be closed by the switching mechanism includes one or more light sources at an opposing end located at a head module. The one or more light sources are oriented to provide a generally linear beam of light that is generally parallel with the flashlight. A parabolic reflector is employed at the head module to concentrate the illumination into the direct beam of light. The light sources at the head module and/or the tail modules may be bulbs, light emitting diodes, lasers, or any other component or device that is capable of providing illumination.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.